The final four verses of chapter 7 are best viewed together and represent father’s final words to his sons about immoral women. Written in typical Hebrew poetry, they’re a series of complimentary parallel statements.
Verses 24 and 25 give two sets of commands, beginning with “my sons” — a familiar refrain in the first part of Proverbs.
Dad says “listen to me; pay attention to what I say” (:24) because he has some life experience that can be helpful to his boys — especially in the context of immoral women.
Verse 25 is crystal clear. “Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths.” He doesn’t tell his sons what to do…but how to think — “your heart.”
These first two verses (:24-25) are quite similar to 5:7-8. We sons had better start paying attention!
The next two verses suggest why we should listen. Verse 26 discusses this woman, her “victims” and “her slain!”
Verse 27 indicates “her house” is “a highway to the grave, leading to the chambers of death.” It’s quite similar to 2:18-19 — discussing another immoral woman.
Dad’s message is straightforward – pay attention to what I’m saying and it’ll help you to make good choices. And we can change the focus here from immoral women to anything else that keeps us from being the person we’re supposed to be.
Today’s verses offer a continual reminder that we need to “pay attention” because there are plenty of distractions out there. If we’re ever going to do right on a continuous basis, it will have to start in our hearts — in our minds, our thinking.
Right actions always begin with right thinking!